Division 5B: Wildcard Preview & Predictions

The end of the regular season is only a day away in Division 5B. A matchup between my McGill Swim Team and Empereurs Retraités is what remains left which has no impact towards the Wildcard round. There’s 14 teams that make the playoffs and the bottom 4 of those 14 will play this Thursday at Marie-Victorin. The 11-seed Les Mangeux de Beignes will take 14-seed PSTM and the 12-seed Deep Zone Penetrators will face 13-seed Chomedey Chodes. The winners of these two contests will take on the 5 and 6 seeds respectively which will be finalized after our last game Monday night. Let’s get right into the Wildcard Matchup previews.

Wildcard Round

#11 Les Mangeux de Beignes vs #14 PSTM

Previous Matchup: N/A

This is a matchup between two teams who enjoy going deep. Xavier Delisle and Jesse Kotlarczyk have both thrown for just under 1,300 yards, but have also combined for 34 INTs. If both QBs stick to the same M.O., there will be plenty of chances for the respective defences to grab momentum.

For PSTM, the offence has been led by centre Jordan Le and receiver Antonio Venturino. The duo has scored 18 times and totaled nearly 700 yards. The PSTM defence has been captained by Ryan McNally, who leads the team with 6 INTs. You also can’t forget rusher Julian Salvatore, who has 11 sacks on the year.

Les Mangeux de Beignes’ defence is led by several players, as they have three different players with at least 3 INTs. Laurent Poisson is the most dangerous, as he has 3 INTs returned for touchdowns, and Nathan Pronovost has two pick-sixes himself. Guillaume Raeppel has only 5 sacks but also 7 PDs, showing he can affect plays without getting the sack.

The offence is pretty balanced, as Jacob Prevost has the most receptions with 30 on the year. Three different receivers have at least 7 TDs, and four receivers are over 200 yards.

Going into this game, I expect both QBs to test the defence. Both are accustomed to throwing INTs, as Delisle only has 2 games without one, compared to Kotlarczyk’s two. Delisle has also been sacked 10 times, so Salvatore will be looking to create even more pressure. Kotlarczyk will look to keep the ball in his team’s possession, as Les Mangeux de Beignes have several players who can make a play and take it back for a TD. This game has the potential to be a 60+ total, but I think turnovers will prevent that.

For PSTM, the question is whether Kotlarczyk can keep the ball safe and whether the team can stay emotionally in check. I’ve seen players on this team implode many times over the years, and the playoffs can bring out the most emotion—for better or worse. For Les Mangeux de Beignes, it’s about finishing drives. I’ve seen this team struggle in the red zone against strong defensive teams, and you can count on McNally to push his defence and not be afraid to play physical.

With that being said, I believe the Les Mangeux de Beignes offence can outlast PSTM in this close contest.

Prediction: Les Mangeux de Beignes def PSTM 28-22

#12 Deep Zone Penetrators vs #13 Chomedey Chodes

Previous matchup: Chomedey Chodes def Deep Zone Penetrators 26-18 in Week 7

When Matthew Bottazzi is throwing for Chomedey Chodes, they are 5–1 on the season, including the victory over Deep Zone Penetrators in Week 7. If he and his brother weren’t suspended earlier in the season, there’s a very high chance they would have secured a bye to avoid being in this position but here we are.

Deep Zone Penetrators saved their season in their final game, beating Angry Birds 31–26. I was playing on the field next to this game, and on the final play, Samuel Langlais found Tallec Baptiste in the back of the end zone, who made a great catch near the boundary to win the game and avoid elimination from playoff contention. With a win like that, I expect Deep Zone Penetrators to come into this game with nothing to lose.

Bottazzi has 26 TDs to 1 INT in 6 games played this season. He has always been an efficient QB who has found great chemistry with his twin brother, Jonathan Bottazzi, over their FPF career. Jonathan finished the year with 52 receptions and 15 TDs in 7 games played. No other player from Chomedey Chodes has more than 20 catches, but secondary receivers Chris Drukker and Brock Zwicker have played key roles this season.

Samuel Langlais has thrown 32 TDs to 8 INTs this season while adding 400 yards on the ground with 4 TDs. Eliott Bourque and Baptiste lead the offence of Deep Zone Penetrators, combining for 50 receptions and 19 TDs. Deep Zone Penetrators have the better playmakers on defence, as Yann Dika-Balotoken is currently tied for second with 8 INTs in the division, and Nikolas Bitzakidis is not far behind him with 5 INTs, including 2 pick-sixes. Both Bottazzi brothers, along with Idris Oudhini, lead Chomedey Chodes with 2 INTs apiece.

The matchup in the regular season was close, but Dika-Balotoken was not present. With a DPOY candidate not playing, it changes how your defence operates.

The key for Chomedey Chodes will be to control the game and make sure Deep Zone Penetrators don’t get under their skin. The Bottazzis have already been suspended earlier in the season and have a track record of losing their composure. They have strong chemistry, but if one of them isn’t on the field, they haven’t proven they can function at a playoff level.

Deep Zone Penetrators are a team I’m surprised by given their record, especially with players like Dika-Balotoken and Baptiste. Speaking of Baptiste, I’ve played against him and seen him multiple times—like Jonathan Bottazzi, he can be a game-changer in any matchup. Playoffs are where you lean on your best players, and I don’t think Baptiste has been utilized to his full potential, whereas Chomedey Chodes’ identity has clearly been to get the ball to Jonathan Bottazzi.

Both QBs protect the ball fairly well, but Matthew Bottazzi has done an exceptional job with only 1 INT this season. If Deep Zone Penetrators can lock up WR Jonathan Bottazzi, I can see a 15-point victory without hesitation.

However, the presence of Dika-Balotoken will be heavily felt, but I believe the Bottazzi connection will ultimately be the difference in a close contest, similar to their Week 7 win.

Prediction: Chomedey Chodes def Deep Zone Penetrators 30-27

Closing Remarks

That’s all I have ahead of the Wildcard matchups later this week. It will be a quick turn-a-round as the Division games will start this upcoming Saturday. Good luck to the four teams playing this Thursday and for the Divisional Round, I’ll have my predictions next week before they begin. Remember to send your medical notes if you require to do so so you can be eligible for playoffs and to have your uniforms with numbers on the back. If you don’t agree with my take, I’m always open to hearing what you have to say so don’t be shy and approach me! As always, if you didn’t get a chance to respond or want to be included in future pieces, you can reach me on Facebook or Instagram @keyoncyrus.